Masters 5K: Arguijo dominates, a 67-year-old lights up the top 11

• Michelle Arguijo wins in 23:22 (7:32/mi), finishing 11th among women overall and posting the 12th-fastest women's split on the closing 2.1M-to-Finish stretch in a Masters field of 216.
• Tight battle for 6th–10th: Robyn Ryan (29:27), Lila Flores (29:30), Tami Ribeiro (29:41), Tracey Kirby (29:44), and Erika Martinez (29:51) — five finishers separated by just 24 seconds.
• Emily Schoenwald, 67, finishes 11th in 29:57 — the oldest athlete in the top 20 and one of the most impressive results on the board.
• 16th vs. 17th, settled by a sliver: Jessica Bennink and Marle Meyer both crossed in 31:27, but the clock told the real story — Bennink edged Meyer by just 0.10 seconds to claim 16th.

Michelle Arguijo made the Masters race her own from the gun. Her 23:22 — a 7:32/mi clip — put more than four minutes of clear air between her and second place, a margin that was never in doubt. She also backed it up with the 12th-fastest women's closing split in the entire women's field, moving through the final 2.1 miles with purpose. On a cool, breezy November morning in Fresno, that kind of sustained pace is no small feat.

Behind her, Kimberly Stillmaker (27:45, 8:56/mi) and Maria Mendoza (28:09, 9:04/mi) rounded out the podium, with Stillmaker gaining five spots among women on the closing stretch and Mendoza picking up two. Mary Garcia (28:39) and Nisha Patel (29:16) completed a top five that spanned just under six minutes of racing — with Patel notably climbing ten places among women over the final segment, the biggest mover in the top five.

Then came the pack. Robyn Ryan and Lila Flores — both 58, running side by side in spirit if not stride — finished 6th and 7th in 29:27 and 29:30, with Tami Ribeiro, Tracey Kirby, and Erika Martinez piling in before the 30-minute mark as well. But the performance that deserves its own mention belongs to Emily Schoenwald: at 67, she ran 29:57 to finish 11th, the oldest athlete in the listed top 20 and a reminder that the Masters field at Two Cities carries some genuine depth.